Waking Up
by SunriseSerenity
Summary: Sequel to Close Your Eyes.  Spoilers for Season 9.  Lucas and Maya's relationship develops while events close in around them.
1. Chapter 1

**Author's note: This continues from my other story, Close Your Eyes. I spent quite a while writing a version of the rest of the series focusing on Lucas and Maya but I'm not sure how creative it is to use a lot of dialogue and action from the show within a fic. If you'd like to read more of the same, just let me know... :) **

**As before, Maya knows Lucas as John. Spooks belongs to Kudos.**

He had slept for around five hours before waking. More than usual, partly due to exertion before bed. Not exactly peaceful sleep, but the nightmares were less vivid than sometimes and he was grateful to have woken without disturbing her. He had plenty to think about, not least the wisdom of bringing her into even the outskirts of his world. He wondered just how selfish he was being. Just how idealistic, thinking that somehow she held the key for him to be a person he had not been for fifteen years.

He sits brooding beside the bed in track-suit bottoms, watching her sleep. At least she seems peaceful. Eventually she stirs, rumpled and very sleepy "urgh, it's early."

He is circumspect – "I thought you might need to be getting back..."

She has her hand on her neck, knowing exactly what he means. Michael. "He's at a conference today."

His phone rings, breaking the awkwardness, and he glances at the caller display. "Work needs me" he states, standing up and looking for his vest.

Maya props herself up, slightly suspicious. "I don't even know what you do, John."

"Private security consultant" he says flatly, pulling the black vest over his head.

"Makes sense" she half smiles, "obscure, mysterious…"

"Yeah, well, it's not as exciting as you think" he responds, playing it down, and comes towards her. "Dr. Lahan…" he has climbed on the bed, leaning over her "last time I saw you, you were thinking about opening a tapas bar" and he is about to kiss her, but she smiles and moves away, remembering.

"I'd forgotten about that, it was a long time ago" and it was true. One summer after an awful few exams she had considered giving up on her medical training. Running somewhere like the bar they frequented in Leeds had held more than a little appeal; plentiful Rioja and food to die for. But he believed in her and encouraged her to stick it out after he graduated, while he took off to travel and make something of himself. She wasn't sure if she'd ever figure out quite how that turned out - what it was he made. Or what someone else made. She had not been to a Spanish restaurant since.

He walks downstairs and retrieves a few items of post. He is looking through them as he walks towards the kitchen when he is suddenly alert to a draught and the patio door being open. Puzzled he walks to the opening and sees the lock is undamaged, and cautiously surveys outside the property. With no sign of anything untoward he half shakes his head and returns inside, pulling the door behind him. And then he notices the photograph on the counter.

The image of him and Maya in a passionate clinch would be sinister enough, without the words "does she know?" written in capitals across one side. He considers: Vaughn. Vaughn was here, with a camera. And then inside the flat. Sending a message. He hears a door and grabs a large knife from the block on the counter, waiting for his moment. He looks around, and it is Maya, wearing his shirt. He recovers quickly and smiles, "hey".

She strokes his shoulder, looking up at him "What are we doing, John?"

"We're doing what we were always supposed to do" he says softly. She pauses and kisses him passionately, totally unaware that he is embracing her with one hand while still grasping a knife in the other.


	2. Chapter 2

Lucas is sickened by the thought of Vaughn in his house while he was upstairs with Maya. While he had clearly fallen on hard times with the stroke and everything, underneath he was still a masterful manipulator and Lucas knew he could expect to hear from him soon. Would Vaughn really say something to Maya? She was just starting to trust him and that could all be torn apart, and he was afraid by how much she mattered to him already. Vaughn had tried sympathy; now he was tugging at different emotions. Playing whatever cards he had - he always had been a gambler. Arriving at Thames House to concerns about CSS Operatives, Lucas gets involved running comms with Beth and encourages her to play whatever emotional cards she's got with Kai. It was all in the training.

After a night with Maya full of passionate memories, Lucas is thrown back into a very different set of associations as he spends the following night in a cold police cell. The decision to get caught at the Embassy had made strategic sense but even temporary incarceration is an emotional ordeal. A clank of metal doors and he is closed in with his thoughts. While the London police were more disinterested than vicious, the lack of control or natural light made him thankful he wasn't there more than a few hours. He struggles to admit to himself that Vaughn has information that could send him down for a long stretch if he doesn't get what he wants.

The call from Vaughn comes the following day, while Lucas is in the park running back-up for Beth. He makes up a story about a possible tail and says he'll meet her at the lock-up. Vaughn claims to be apologetic:

"Sorry about that stunt at your house, a bit dramatic I know."

"You've got thirty seconds before I hang up: what do you want?" he demands, looking over his shoulder.

Vaughn is in a pub: "Ok, ok, I need your help. Badly"

"What, and you think blackmailing me is the best way to get it?"

"John, John. I made silly promises. I need that Albany file" he pleads.

"No. I told you, I'm not doing this."

"Please, they won't leave me alone. Do this for me and I'm gone - forever." It's enough to keep him on the phone. "You can carry on. Whatever life you want." It would be tempting, if he could believe a word of it. When has blackmail ever been about one transaction? He hangs up, and spasms with the impossibility of it all. He collapses onto a bench with his head in his hands. Vaughn sounds desperate and prepared to raise the stakes higher if he must. Lucas doesn't want him anywhere near Maya and the tender new buds of their relationship.

He'd got Level A access as part of the deal from Harry when he took on the section chief role. But instead of using it to look up Vaughn's record, Lucas starts looking for the Albany file. Just out of curiosity. He consults the system in the data vault at Thames House and could gain access by crashing the registry, but it might get linked back to his ID, Lucas North. He would need another identity.


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's note: So it's been ages: I blame a lack of confidence that anyone wanted to read something so closely based on the show itself. But a kind review got me feeling more motivated. Here's the next instalment. SS**

* * *

The complexities of the Amphitrite mission leave the team concluding that Kai must be a triple agent. Harry comments how they've been manipulated with ease, with contempt, and Lucas considers how true that might be of his own situation, and his own conduct, as he casually glimpses Stephen Owen's password before thanking and dismissing the low ranking officer. Returning to the data vault he sets up Owen, using his ID to download the Albany file and transferring a substantial sum to Owen's bank account.

Further developments with Kai suggest that he has been loyal all along, manipulated from above. Lucas wonders if the same could be said of Vaughn as he enters the pub and spots him in the corner. "Still a vodka man I take it?" Vaughn quips, indicating a shot. "Come on, you don't need to be so unfriendly." Lucas half smiles, and sits. He pauses, and places the flash drive on the table. Vaughn smiles with his drooping mouth and pockets it. "I hope you covered your tracks. Did you use a fall guy?" Lucas looks up at him, not wanting to respond. "Of course you did," Vaughn smiles. "Didn't have to do that of course, could have taken a risk. Talked your way out of it. Harry Pearce would've believed you, still. Better to be safe than sorry." He drinks. "Best to set someone up". Lucas is avoiding his gaze. "Whose life did you ruin today, John?"

"Look… I did what you asked. I helped you." He looks Vaughn in the eye. "Now you and I are done" and he downs the vodka, puts down the glass and walks away.

"You didn't do this for me," Vaughn argues, and he looks back. "You did this for you", he points accusingly. And smiles. Lucas has had enough and leaves the pub, urgently wanting to be somewhere else.

Maya is in the hospital chatting to a nurse, clutching a file. Lucas charges in, calling her name and she looks to him as her colleague retreats. "What are you doing, you shouldn't be here," she says with some confusion, looking around.

"I've done it" he announces.

"You've done what?" he sits back on a metal chair in the corridor, catching his breath, and she sits beside him. Trying not to make a scene, but the corridor has emptied.

"I've fixed things… everything's clear" he smiles with excitement. "We can be together… do anything".

She catches his mood but insists "John, you need to slow down."

"It's er, sorry, I just had to tell you" he continues. "I don't want to waste another moment." He leans in close and she looks away, slightly panicked and uncertain how to respond. She bites her lip.

"Ok" she turns face on, very serious. "Ok. It's got to be forever this time John". He nods, and smiles gently and they kiss in the corridor, passed by an orderly in blue scrubs.

That evening he takes her out for a surprise meal on the other side of town and the waiting staff would have pegged them as any young couple out for a night of tapas and good wine. Maya throws herself into enjoying the night and orders the best Rioja in the house. Even she fails to notice how strategically Lucas chose a seat where he could survey the room. Or his slight preoccupation with the lone Chinese patron who appeared to have been stood up on his date. She was busy falling in love again, reminiscing about old times and Lucas finds her enthusiasm affecting. He longs to believe that his life can be this uncomplicated; that he can make someone happy just by spending an evening together in a bar. He keeps her cab waiting to kiss her goodnight once more, before he walks to the tube, struggling to accept that he's somehow been given another chance.


	4. Chapter 4

The following day Ruth announces to the office that Stephen Owen from G Section has been arrested after crashing the mainframe and diverting money into his own account. Lucas reacts carefully, questioning if that's even possible. Ruth seems to have sympathy for the young man who is only twenty-two and will serve time in prison. Lucas considers for a moment, before declaring: "A traitor's a traitor", not liking what he is implying about his own identity. Hasn't he been trying to convince himself that he can be someone different?

Section D are soon involved in another case raising parallels about identity. The peace envoy's daughter Anna fools them all and nearly succeeds in her attempt as a suicide bomber. Harry expresses his regret at not noticing her change by quoting Kierkegaard: "The greatest hazard of all, losing oneself, can occur very quietly in the world; almost as if it were nothing at all". Lucas looks extremely uncomfortable but claims not to have read it.

Urgently he wants to be with Maya. Even if he had lost himself, somehow she was grounding him again. Helping him to find himself again. When he is with her everything seems less complex. Perhaps he can learn to enjoy the simple things like going out for a drink and having a laugh without worrying about the pressures of work and the pretences of others.

Shortly afterwards he arrives smiling at Maya's house, and she is flustered, asking "what are you doing here?"

"What's wrong, did you not get my message?" he asks, and she cuts him off:

"Michael's here" she stresses, and Lucas looks into the hallway.

"Shit – I'll come back later" and he turns to go.

"Ok" she says softly, but before he can be gone he hears another voice:

"Who is it?" A voice he recognises, and he turns back in disbelief.

"Michael" says Maya, trying to make a polite introduction, "this is John, from work" and an immaculately dressed Vaughn appears in the hallway. He smiles confidently, with no sign of any stroke.

"Hello John, it's good to meet you" and he extends a hand which Lucas shakes, in a daze. Not so much losing himself as losing his grip on reality and his new found hope of a future.


	5. Chapter 5

Lucas sits in a car, looking utterly miserable. He answers his phone earpiece. It is Vaughn:

"John, hi, er, I was wondering where…" Lucas cuts him off:

"Tell me what you want me to do, and I'll do it" he says defeated.

"Battersea Park, twenty minutes"

"No, I can't, I'm on an operation."

"You want answers, you'll come" and Vaughn hangs up. Lucas looks scared, pulls off his earpiece in severe agitation and drives off, wheels squeaking. He is expected to be on standby at Harry's bidding to mind Danielle Ortiz, a computer expert essential in a joint mission with the CIA.

Harry is coming to terms with the grid being compromised when Lucas calls in, claiming to be stuck in traffic. He is meeting Vaughn and is fitting a silencer to his gun as Vaughn approaches the meet. He walks towards the bench beside the river, and asks the painful question: "Why did you have to be with her?"

"For this moment, John" he replies steelily. "If you'd done what I'd asked from the start you'd never have known. I'd have been Michael, the faceless ex, and you two could have been happy." It all sounds a very long way away.

"The circus act?" Lucas asks.

"Your old man had a couple of strokes didn't he? Thought I might get some sympathy. Anyway, it didn't work so I, er, moved the plan on" he says dispassionately.

"This was between you and me" Lucas says, his voice like gravel. "Why are you doing this to her?"

"You can't blackmail someone whose life has no real value" Vaughn explains. "They have to have something to lose, that's why I gave you something." Lucas looks at him with contempt and he laughs. "You remember, how you used to get drunk and you'd bang on about Maya for hours and hours…" Lucas reaches to reveal the gun in his pocket, disengaging the safety. "Steady, John, man," he takes a step back, and Vaughn proceeds to dissect his adversary. "You think about this. You have a name, a life, that were never meant to be yours. You've got no friends, no family, no past. You're not a real person." Lucas looks crestfallen. "Now I've given you something – I've given you her" he half smiles, condescending. "When it's over you'll be glad I came back into your life".

"What do you mean, when it's over?" Lucas is clutching at straws. "I gave you Albany", he shakes his head, "the painting…"

"And the painting led me to the location of the actual Albany file" Vaughn explains. Lucas clasps his hand to his chin in despair. "It's a classified address, but I think you know who lives there" and he smiles, reaching a photograph from his breast pocket which Lucas regards gravely. "My employers are becoming impatient, John. They need that file by two o'clock today."

"No, I told you I can't, I'm on an operation."

"Two o'clock" Vaughn repeats. "Will you stop torturing yourself? There isn't a choice here. Stop pretending that there is" he grins, "It just makes it worse". Lucas looks at him, stone-faced, and retreats.


	6. Chapter 6

While the others try to forge a plan to deal with the compromised grid, Lucas picks up Ortiz. He is surprised to find they have something in common - both have prison tattoos and find a grudging mutual respect. He receives a text message while driving from Vaughn, demanding the Albany file by 2pm and exhorting him to do it for Maya. He makes an excuse about being followed to Ortiz and she knows something is off. They pull away from their escort and hastily switch cars in a parking garage. He calls in to let Harry know and plays it down, saying he just needs to be sure. He and Ortiz continue discussing her background and she comments how you only get one second chance.

Ortiz struggles to make small-talk with Lucas and gets frustrated at every turn. At one point she asks about music, and Lucas says he used to like music. She is baffled, and he explains sadly: "Sometimes you just stop hearing it". He tries to remember the music that must have been playing at the bar the previous night, but he gets nothing. To her dismay he leaves her in the car as he enters Malcolm's house, spinning a careful tale about Harry being set up and needing the Albany file.

Malcolm's elderly mother enters the room asking who Lucas is, just as Malcolm returns from the garden. His reassurance to her that this is just his friend, John, leaves Lucas anything but reassured. Did he just choose the name, or does he actually know a lot more than he is letting on? "Malcolm, what did you just call me?" he asks deliberately.

"Oh sorry," Malcolm brushes it off, "not very imaginative". Lucas silently curses his own paranoia.

"Old habits die hard, eh?" Malcolm has extracted a small package from the box he unearthed from the garden. Ortiz is spying on them through the window. She strains to hear Malcolm explaining about the file:

"Lucas, when I was entrusted with this, Harry gave me a list of three names. Three other people that the Albany file would be safe with." Lucas is intrigued. "Your name was on that list".

"Who were the other two?" Lucas asks, seriously.

"They are not likely to come calling I'm afraid" Malcolm sighs. Lucas approaches him and after a brief moment, he hands it over. Lucas thanks him, alludes to Harry's gratitude and makes another request as he leaves that Malcolm keeps their meeting confidential; explaining that they don't know who else is involved.

He's kept Danielle waiting a long time, and she has bolted. He tracks her easily enough and tries to calm her down while down-playing her deductions that he's up to something he wouldn't want his bosses to know about. She knows that he is running away from something, or maybe towards something. As they get back on the road, Lucas gets a message purporting to be from Harry, changing the rendez-vous. Danielle begs to call her people.

Lucas calls in to try to get further information from Harry and is suspicious of the generated responses. He is unwilling to execute an unarmed civilian. Danielle insists on calling her team and when Lucas refuses she asks "what are you going to do, kill me?" and is taken aback by the look he gives her. She runs but he quickly apprehends her and carries her back to the car, shutting her in the boot and driving to a remote location following the instructions he doesn't know came from the Russians.


	7. Chapter 7

Lucas is on an old, deserted industrial site. Ortiz is pleading to be released from the boot of the car. He opens the boot to her declaration that he's only getting the codes off her over her dead body. He closes the boot again and points his pistol at her, watched by a gunman who reports to the Russian command that he has arrived and is about to kill the girl. Lucas changes his mind and gets back in the car, calling Harry again. "Harry, I'm at the rendez-vous, I'm about to carry out your orders. Just need to check something.

"Go ahead" says the synthesised voice.

"What's your favourite opera?", and while the Russians are flummoxed, Ruth, listening in with others at Thames House, is delighted.

"He knows".

The repetition from the synthesised voice cuts no mustard with Lucas, who insists to be told Harry's favourite opera. The command to neutralise Ortiz is the wrong answer, and Lucas discards his phone, realising the grid has been compromised. He drives away under heavy gunfire which smashes the windscreen and he gets out the car, seeing to his dismay that Ortiz has been hit. He assesses the wound on her neck and tells her to apply pressure, as he succeeds in taking out two of the shooters before running out of ammunition. Supporting her they run, pursued by another gunman.

He offers to let Lucas live in return for the codes, but Lucas challenges him to come and get them, and then beats the man unconscious. But Ortiz has collapsed and by the time he returns to her, she is weak from blood-loss and she knows it's bad. "Hey, look at you, you didn't lie", she is apologising, begging him not to let her die.

"I'm not going to let you die" he says, sounding determined. "We'll call an ambulance" and he searches the Russian for a phone.

"I promise I won't tell them about the house" she continues, "about Albany" and Lucas looks at her, shocked that she had heard so much.

"Emergency services, which service do you require, hello? Hello?" Lucas is still, watching Ortiz. "Are you in trouble" asks the telephonist. "Do you need help? Can you give me your loc.." but Lucas hangs up the phone and only pretends to pass on the details.

Returning to Ortiz he removes her hand from her neck saying "let me do that".

"I feel far away" she murmurs, as the life leaks from her body.

"You're going to be fine" Lucas lies softly, letting her blood seep through his fingers. "Shhh, You're going to be okay. Listen," he whispers, "I can hear the ambulance coming now" and her body falls, limp and lifeless. He didn't kill her, and he tells himself that he wouldn't have killed her. But he didn't save her.


	8. Chapter 8

Lucas's day continues badly, hearing from Vaughn that the Albany file was a fake and returning to Malcolm's house to find no trace of the file or the previous occupants. Vaughn has threatened to tell Maya what sort of man John really is. Watching her from outside her house, Lucas wonders whether they could just make a run for it. Whether she would be prepared to leave everything for him. He doesn't want anyone else to have to die.

Although they have recovered from the Russian attack on the grid, Ruth is getting more suspicious of Lucas's actions. While his belief in his section chief remains strong, Harry does seem concerned that Lucas may be in trouble and he decides to keep him close. The following morning, Lucas accompanies Harry to meet a source near Tobacco Docks. On the way, Harry shocks Lucas by asking if he remembered the UK embassy bombing in Dakar in 1995. Lucas cautiously admits to having been there, unsure of how much Harry knows. He mentions being in Dakar the year before he joined MI-5, finding himself. As Harry explains that he is very willing to re-open the case of the Dakar bombing, Lucas seems not to share his enthusiasm. He asks how good Harry's source is.

"His information is usually good but I'd recommend an extremely long spoon" Harry says, enigmatically, leaving Lucas to wonder just what kind of devil they'll be dining with. They approach the contact and Lucas realises with horror that this is the devil he knows. Vaughn turns, asking:

"Harry Pearce, how are you old boy?"

"Old boy? That's a little out-moded" complains Harry, not noticing his colleague's discomfort.

"Who's this serious looking feller?" Vaughn asks, indicating Lucas, and Harry introduces him confidently:

"Lucas North, my section chief" and they shake hands.

"I wasn't expecting company, but the more the merrier" smiles Vaughn, while Lucas looks troubled, with some reason. Harry asks about the nature of the information about the Dakar bomb, and Vaughn claims to know everything: "How, why, and most importantly, who", but demands a price of half a million. They both know this will require Harry to approach the Home Secretary, and their meeting ends shortly afterwards, with Harry telling Lucas drily,

"Given the 'great efficiency drive', half a million pounds to expose a national disgrace might be a hard sell".

"I'll check out the Dakar file, see if there's anything we've overlooked" Lucas proposes, but Harry disagrees, saying Beth can do that.

Arriving at Thames House, Lucas' phone rings and he tells Harry he'll catch him up. "What the hell are you playing at?" he demands of Vaughn.

"I did tell you I was well connected" smiles Vaughn.

"To Harry Pearce?" questions Lucas.

"Just trying to refocus your mind."

Lucas is insistent "Listen, if Harry starts digging into Dakar, life gets more difficult for all of us. I might even decide it makes sense to come clean and then where's your leverage?"

"Last I heard she was staying with you" says Vaughn pointedly.

"Leave Maya out of this" Lucas says, furious, but Vaughn has hung up the phone.

Although he'd claimed to have given her to Lucas, Vaughn was surprised how threats to Maya from his Chinese superiors still sickened him. As they showed him pictures of her with Lucas and threatened to rape her and cut off her head, Vaughn knew the time had come to involve her more directly. He told himself he was protecting her, planning to take her to a safehouse, but perhaps it was more about getting that leverage back.


	9. Chapter 9

Beth agrees to follow up the Dakar file but sounds incredulous that Lucas would betray his own country. Harry claims no-one is suggesting that, but says they need to be ready to help if Lucas is in trouble. He tells Beth to find out why Lucas was in Dakar.

Maya comes out of the hospital to meet Vaughn, complaining that she's busy.

"I need to talk to you, will you get in the car" asks Vaughn.

"I don't think that is a good idea" Maya states, with her arms folded.

"There are things you need to know, about me, about John", Vaughn says gently.

"What things, Michael?"

"Oh come on, you really don't have any questions about what we do?" Maya looks thoughtful, "or does it suit you not to ask them? Please, just give me a moment."

Maya is curious, and gets in the car. She tries to be clear: "Look, I know that I've hurt you Michael, and I am so sorry, I am, but I have made my choice".

"Maya", Vaughn pulls a gun, "you don't know the meaning of the word hurt. My name's not Michael, it's Vaughn, and John doesn't work for some security firm, he works for MI-5." Maya is confused:

"What are you talking about" she demands.

"He's a spy, because of him, your life's in danger" Vaughn summarises, and starts the car, still pointing the gun at her. He drives a short distance from the hospital before pulling the car into a deserted courtyard. He reaches for his gun and phone, then tells Maya "you're driving". He calls Lucas who is in the office, and responds bluntly:

"This isn't convenient".

Vaughn is serious "we're out of time, John."

"Listen" Lucas stays calm, "I'm doing everything I can, but I've hit a brick wall, and we need to work together to get out of this".

"I'm sorry to hear you say that" Vaughn replies. "But there's someone who'll be sorrier".

"Hello?" it is Maya, and she sounds afraid. "John, John, he's got a gun".

"Maya listen to me" Lucas tries.

"John, he says that you're a spy, is that true?" but Vaughn takes the phone back.

"You know these tactics are repulsively crude to me but this is what you've brought us to" he explains.

"You're not going to hurt her" Lucas tries to sound confident

"I won't have to, it's the Chinese, John. I'm working for the Chinese. I'm taking you to them." He tells them both. "They'll decide what happens, or…"

"Please don't do that" Lucas appeals.

"Finish this, now, for all our sakes" Vaughn ends the call. Lucas leaves the room, as Beth looks puzzled at a profile on her computer. Another man of a similar age and build to her section chief had a gym membership in Dakar at the same time as the bombing. His name was Lucas North.

The man we know as Lucas is in turmoil, trying to process threats addressed to John and the woman he loved, who he'd thought he could love again. He stops in a corridor and bangs his head against the wall behind him, covering his face with his hand. He's not sure whether Vaughn is telling Maya the truth or more lies, or which would be worse. How can she be his anchor if she is doubting who he is?

What he doesn't know is that Maya is not the only one currently questioning his identity. Beth takes the printout through to Harry, but by the time she emerges, Lucas has left.


	10. Chapter 10

Vaughn drags Maya into a deserted building. She is crying and begs "Michael, what are you going to do, please, tell me. What are you going to do, Michael, please?".

He handcuffs her to a metal post, "What am I going to do?" he is angry, but not at her. "If John had done what he was supposed to do, you wouldn't be in danger. I'm trying to protect you".

She doesn't believe him "You said that you were going to give me to someone" she sobs, "to the Chinese".

Vaughn sighs, "I had to say that, it's, er, complicated." He crouches beside her, "Maya, you're alright" she struggles desperately. "Hey" he insists, "you're safe with me" and he cups her face, moving her hair out of her eyes with some tenderness. "I promise".

Vaughn's phone rings. "John"

"Alright Vaughn, you win" Lucas states, and Vaughn is cautious:

"What does that mean?"

"I was bluffing, I've got the file" Lucas asserts, but Vaughn is unconvinced.

"I don't believe you".

"I don't see that you've got the choice. Where do we meet?" Lucas sounds determined, and gets in a cab to Southwark Park, followed covertly by Beth.

Vaughn is seated on a park bench as Lucas approaches, passing children playing with swings and water pistols. Lucas sits beside him, wanting to know: "where is she?"

"She's safe" says Vaughn. "Give me Albany and I'll have her released". He is holding a thin brown envelope.

"Not here"

Vaughn insists "John, the whole purpose of meeting in a public place is so that you can't torture me into telling you where she is. Stop taking me for an idiot".

"Working with the Chinese, I'd say you'd qualify" Lucas is pointed, and Vaughn appears to concede his point.

"They've certainly got better at surveillance" Vaughn admits. "I know my apartment's bugged, and the car, but I'm damned if I can find them".

Lucas shakes his head, half laughing. "What did you expect?"

"I wouldn't get too smug" Vaughn retorts, handing over the envelope, saying "it looks like we could both do with some pest control". Lucas opens it to find a picture of himself and Maya kissing. "The Chinese are watching both of us." Later pictures show the pair getting more intimate. "It's funny, it's hard for me to see those. I must be getting old" he sounds wistful.

"You were always good at manipulating people" Lucas says, his voice low, "but there's one thing that you never accounted for".

"What's that?" Vaughn asks.

"Passion" replies Lucas, as he plunges a knife into Vaughn's thigh, covering his mouth and holding him up to hide what he has done. "Don't make a fuss" he orders coldly, as Vaughn swallows a scream. "I'm inches away from the main artery. Any sudden movement would be very bad for you. Now," he continues, "tell me where she is."

Beth takes a call from Harry, saying she's followed Lucas to a park. She watches from a distance.

"John, listen I.."

"You've overplayed your hand, Vaughn" Lucas states. "Maya means more to me than my job or my reputation. Now tell me where she is".

Vaughn is in a lot of pain, but tries to explain "you don't understand, I'm trying to protect her."

"By handing her over to the Chinese?" Lucas questions

"She's not with the Chinese but they're going to kill her if we don't…" Lucas twists the knife and Vaughn cries out in pain.

"Where is she?"

"She's"

"Where?" he demands

"She's in a safehouse, but they don't know about it". Lucas is distracted by squeals, but it is the children with water pistols. Vaughn takes his chance, swings at him and fires a hand-gun into the air. Children scream and Beth tells Harry something's happened and she's going in.


	11. Chapter 11

After a scuffle Vaughn is limping away as Lucas picks up his gun and shouts at Beth to get out of the way. He doesn't know where Maya is, and the man who does know is getting away. But he is wounded, and he may not make it back to her. What will happen to her then? How close are the Chinese?

"Lucas, put the gun down".

"Get out of the way" he yells.

"I said put the gun down" Beth repeats firmly, her own pistol aimed at him.

"You idiot" he lowers his weapon briefly, "You have no idea what you've done"

"Tell me" she asks, "Tell me what I've done. Whatever's going on, we want to help" she implores, "Harry will help you like he helped me now please, put the gun down". Lucas hesitates, then lowers his gun further. "Lucas you have…" she approaches him, and he draws again. "You won't kill me, I know you won't" she says, nervous but determined.

"You don't know anything about me" he says ambiguously.

She tries again: "Maybe not, but I've seen you risk your life to save others. And I believe in you" she says with emotion. "We all do". Lucas puts the safety on his weapon as he moves away in defeat, crouching and lowering himself slowly to the ground.

Maya is struggling with her restraints as the door bangs and Vaughn enters, calling out her name in pain. He tumbles down the metal staircase as she turns to him in panic, seeing the knife still firmly stuck in his leg. "Michael…" she is scared. She thought he was meeting with John, and would be returning with him, but he is alone and badly wounded. Perhaps he was ambushed before reaching the meet, but part of her fears that the violent encounter involved John. She doesn't like to think of him attacking anyone, but the fact that he might have come off worse and will never find her chills her even more.

Harry, Beth and Lucas are in a large warehouse space. Harry asks Beth to wait outside before approaching Lucas who is sat at a table. Harry presents him with the photograph Beth had found, challenging:

"One Lucas North in Dakar I can accept. Two is stretching credibility." Lucas looks at the picture awkwardly. "Who is he, Lucas?"

"Listen Harry" Lucas begins quietly. "I know this looks suspicious"

"Somewhat", Harry agrees. Lucas sighs. "Let me be clear" Harry sits opposite him. "The Dakar bombing happened on my watch. Seventeen people were killed on that day and for fifteen years they've gone without justice. So you do not leave this room until you've explained the full extent of your involvement in that atrocity. Do you understand?"

Lucas has been avoiding his eye, but now looks up, blinking. He turns the picture of Lucas North over deliberately, and confesses "My name, isn't Lucas North", he pauses. "My name is John Bateman". Harry bangs the table and gets to his feet, furious.

"Damn you, damn you" he spits. "God knows I've had my share of betrayal but not you."

"I'm sorry," Lucas sounds sincere.

"Why were you in Dakar?" asks Harry.

Lucas describes his early misadventures in Dakar, caught rather naively involved with a drugs deal and stranded with no money or passport. Working in a casino he had met Vaughn Edwards, a lucky gambler who was generous with his tips and who invited Lucas to join him in some 'small deniable errands for the British Government.'

Harry asks coldly "What sort of errands did you run for Vaughn?"

"Courier work mostly," Lucas replies. "Taking briefcases to people, places. I never asked what was in them. It was exciting at first" he almost laughs, "and very well paid".

"You had no qualms about what you might be doing?" Harry is unimpressed.

"Vaughn told me that we were working indirectly for the UK Government. I believed him."

"It suited you to believe him".


End file.
